Dark Revelations
by cwesthawk
Summary: Set in the same continuity as Storms Over Colorado, this story kicks off the much requested road trip. Kim and Shego, along with Ron, Rufus, Yori, and Monique, visit a local haunted house for Halloween. However, Shego must first reveal some dark tidings in her personal life. -mild KIGO-


**Disclaimer:** Kim Possible and all IP as it is presented in the canon animated television series is Copyright and Trademark by the Disney Company. This is a non-profit fan fiction piece.

**Note: **This is the first "road trip" story in the _Storms Over Colorado _continuity. Each one of the "road trip" stories will focus on a particular holiday and a particular destination as Kim and Shego journey across the world. Unlike the TSOD stories, which incorporate relationship development into an action/adventure story, SOC stories will focus much more on relationship development and much less on action/adventure (if at all).

**KIM POSSIBLE: DARK REVELATIONS**

"So, girlfriend, you need to decide," said the voice of Kim Possible's best female friend, Monique. The two of them were holding a conversation over the phone, although Kim's 'phone' was really her wrist Kimmunicator. "Are you going with the white one or the black one?"

Kim pondered the question a moment while flipping out a t-shirt in front of her. Kim and her mother, Anne, were in Kim's bedroom packing a couple of pieces of luggage. Three suitcases lay open on Kim's bed while Kim and Anne were sorting through clothes.

"I can't really decide whether I want to be naughty or nice," Kim finally laughed. "Tell ya what, Mo'. Buy both. You've got Wade's card and my share of the expense account is good for it. Then I can try 'em both on and decide."

"Fair enough," Monique's voice replied. "I'll grab 'em and BRT... be right there."

"Please and thank you," Kim smiled. "Love ya, Mo'!"

"Love ya too, Kim," Monique's voice laughed softly. "See ya in thirty."

With that, Kim cut the call and turned her full focus on the task at hand.

Trying to decide which clothes to take with her.

"You must be very excited, Kimmie," Anne said, smiling softly at her daughter. The elder Possible redhead considered her now 19 year old daughter with a combination of pride, envy, and fear.

"If you only knew the half of it, Mom," Kim replied. "For the last year, I've been stuck in a rut of one mission after another. This road trip is going to help me break out of that rut and help me find myself again."

"Sometimes something like that is needed," Anne agreed, pulling a heavy shirt out of Kim's closet. "You know, sweetie, you really should be focusing on winter clothes. You're going to be gone for several months and those months are going to be in the winter months."

"True," Kim nodded, accepting the shirt from her mother. "Thankfully, we already put most of the summer clothes into storage."

"That does make things easier," Anne said, turning back to Kim's closet. "So, is Monique the one you're going on this road trip with?"

"Naw," Kim replied, shaking her head. "She's got her job as manager of the Club Banana here in town to deal with, not to mention college work for fashion design."

"Then, who is...?" Anne started to ask.

Anne was interrupted by the familiar chirping of Kim's wrist Kimmunicator. Kim quickly held up her wrist and answered the call.

"Hey, Wade! What's the sitch?"

"Hey, Kim!" came the voice of Kim's webmaster, gadget designer, and resident genius, 14 year old Wade Load. "I've, um, got a call for you."

"From someone going through the website?" Kim asked, raising a brow. Wade sounded nervous and that never sat well with Kim. "You _did_ post on the website that I was going to be gone for a few months, right?"

"Yeah, I did," Wade replied. "But, um, I kinda chose to make an exception for this caller."

Kim nodded and sighed. "Okay, patch 'em through."

"You got it," Wade said.

Wade's image disappeared and was replaced with that of another person. Kim saw the face and smiled.

"Hey, Cupcake," the person said.

Kim's smile softened a little. The voice had sounded controlled... almost defeated. "Hey, Shego. What's up?"

"Shego?" Anne started to ask, before Kim shot her a look that promised answers later.

"I, um," Shego started to say, scratching the back of her head. "Listen, Kimmie, I'm not good at this sort of thing. But... but I need your help. What's your address?"

Anne's eyes went wide upon hearing that. Before she could say anything, Kim responded to Shego.

"Sure," Kim said, obvious concern on her voice. "No big at all. You don't remember where it is from when you stayed with us?"

"My mind's still scrambled from that attitudinator," Shego sighed. "Otherwise, I'd already be tapping at your bedroom window."

"Fair enough," Kim nodded as she paced across the floor of her room and sat down on the edge of her bed. "Hey, Wade, you still there?"

Shego's image on the Kimmunicator screen shifted to the left slightly, making room for Wade's image on the right side.

"Right here, Kim," Wade said.

"Send Shego my address, please and thank you?"

"You're making the geek do it?" Shego asked incredulously.

"Kim knows I can send you the address _and_ full directions, with a map, from your current location within a matter of seconds," Wade explained, visibly typing at his keyboard. "Better than anything Google or Yahoo can give you."

"Touche," Shego replied. Then her eyes went wide. "Oh! Okay! I'm not even ten minutes out. Thanks, Poindexter. Okay, Kimmie, I'll see you in ten."

"Seeya, Shego," Kim said, before cutting the connection with the verdent-skinned beauty.

Before Kim could cut the call with Wade, the boy genius spoke. "Kim, I'm not so sure that was such a good idea."

"Neither do I," Anne stated, folding her arms in front of her daughter. "Even with Shego's pardon, she's still has a past as a violent criminal."

"Your mom was in the room when you did that?" Wade asked, his eyes widening. "Bold!"

"Haha!" Kim chuckled sardonically. "Listen, I know what you guys are thinking. I can't blame you. But trust me on this. I wasn't supposed to meet her until tomorrow, so if she's coming to me _now_, that means something's happened. She needs help. And that's what we do. We help people."

Anne's eyes considered Kim queerly. "You were meeting up with Shego tomorrow? For what? And I thought you were leaving for your road trip tomorrow?"

Kim simply looked up at her mother, a soft, plaintive look on her face.

"Oh," Anne breathed, suddenly connecting the dots in her mind.

Before Anne could say anything more, the front door flew open downstairs and a familiar voice rang through the house.

"MR. AND MRS. DR. P! I'M HOME!"

"Ron!" Kim squealed as she dropped the shirt in her hand and bolted out of her bedroom door.

"Ron's home from college?" Anne asked, more to herself than anyone else. "I didn't know he was going to be in town."

Kim bolted down the hallway and hit the top of the stairs. Looking down, the redhead saw Ron, posing dramatically at the bottom of the stairs. The blond young man was wearing his traditional cargo pants and jersey over a long sleeve shirt. His naked mole rat and constant companion, Rufus, mocked the dramatic pose while perched on Ron's shoulder.

Kim flew down the stairs, skipping three or four steps at a time, before glomping Ron in a tremendous tackle that would have toppled a lesser man. A brief flash of blue energy, however, announced how Ron reflexively called upon his Mystical Monkey Powers to steady himself and accept Kim's tackle. Kim and Ron stood there for several minutes, just holding their embrace, while Rufus snuggled in between the two heroes' necks.

"Oh, my God, Ron," Kim muttered as she held her best friend tightly. "I've missed you so much. I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry for everything."

"KP, it's okay," Ron laughed, patting Kim's back. "We sorted it all out a couple of months ago, right?"

"I still miss you," Kim reiterated. "I kick myself in the pants every night for treating you like I did and driving you into moving to Japan."

"Puh-lease!" Ron said, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, I grew weak and ran. So not my best 'manly-man' moment. But the _Cordon Bleu_ over there has helped me take my cooking to another level. And we're back to being bestest friends, right?"

Kim stepped back and smiled softly, holding up her right pinkie finger in a hook-like position. "Bestest friends forever."

"From now until the day we die," Ron smiled in return, hooking his right pinkie fighter with Kim's.

"Did I not tell you that Kim-san would forgive you, Ron-kun?" asked a pleasant, feminine voice from behind Ron.

Kim looked around Ron and saw Yori, Ron's current girlfriend. The three of them went back almost four years, since the first time Ron visited Japan as an exchange student. Yori was also a ninja. Her ninja school, located in Yamanouchi, Japan, had taught Ron how to be a better fighter and how to better channel the Mystical Monkey Powers with which he found himself gifted. Yori was also the only other girl that Kim would ever approve of Ron dating.

Kim smiled at the beautiful Japanese girl. "Yori! You're here to visit, too?"

"It is my honor to accompany the Mystical Monkey Master in his sojourn to his hometown," Yori replied. "There is still so much about him that I do not know. I wish to learn all that I can, so that I may be a better friend and a better lover."

Kim stepped around Ron and drew Yori into an embrace of their own. "Yori, you are already one of the best friends anyone could ask for. After what happened between Ron and I, I'm glad he turned to you rather than someone like... like Bonnie or something."

"Bonnie!" Rufus squeaked, his voice fighting a gag reflex. "Yuck!"

Yori cocked a brow to that. "Is this... Bonnie... someone with whom I should show concern?"

"No!" Both Kim and Ron gasped.

Kim recovered more quickly. "Let's just say that you're the best woman for Ron, so far as a woman being a woman is concerned. I'm happy for the two of you."

"Coming from you, Kim-san," Yori said, bowing respectfully, "I find those words to be a tremendous honor to have been bestowed upon me. I thank you."

"No big," Kim smiled. "You have no idea how much it means to me that you two are visiting, especially today."

"Well, KP, my bestest friend forever is going on a road trip starting tomorrow," Ron explained. "And tonight is our annual trip to the Godeaux Family Haunted Mansion. It'll be the last chance for us to hang out for a while. I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Neither would I," Yori chimed in.

"Me three!" Rufus chirped.

Kim gushed slightly in front of her friends. "What would my life be without you guys?"

"Most likely calm and serene," Yori laughed.

"And booooooooring!" Ron added dramatically. Rufus mocked a fainting pose on Ron's shoulder for emphasis.

"Most likely," Kim laughed.

The doorbell suddenly rang at that point.

"I'll get it!" Ron said, spinning around and heading to the front door.

"Ron!" Kim said, trying to reach for the blond man. "I don't think that's such a good..."

But it was too late. Ron had already rounded the corner to the foyer.

Yori turned and looked at Kim curiously. Kim simply sighed.

"Disaster in 3... 2... 1...," Kim muttered, counting down on her fingers dramatically.

"Welcome to the Possible Residence," Ron's voice filtered back into the stairwell. "How may I... GYAH! EVIL FIERY HANDS OF DEATH!"

"Well, hello to you too, Sidekick," Shego's voice filtered back in response. "I love you too."

Ron came scrambling back into the stairwell area, sans Rufus, nearly tripping over his own feet in his rush. "KP! TROUBLE!"

Kim simply shook her head and pushed her way past Ron and into the foyer.

The sight that greeted Kim was nothing less than amusing. Shego stood in the doorway, wearing a soft green turtleneck sweater and black jeans, smiling bemusedly down on Rufus. The naked mole rat stood defiantly in front of the green woman, glaring up at Shego as if _daring_ her to step a foot in the house. _Daring her!_

"Hey, Shego," Kim giggled. "Sorry about that. Ron doesn't know yet. Hey, Rufus, can Shego come in? Please and thank you?"

Rufus glanced back at Kim as if the redhead had just fallen off of the short bus. Once he saw how serious yet how at ease Kim was, he relented and skittered aside to let Shego through the doorway.

Shego shook her head mirthfully and stepped inside. "So, who all _does_ know?"

"Um," Kim mumbled brilliantly. "I think my mom figured it out after our call a little bit ago."

Shego laughed. "Can't say that I blame you. I _was_ one of the most wanted criminals in the world before my pardon, after all. Shall we go break the ice, then?"

"Yeah," Kim smiled, motioning Shego through to the family room.

"Kimmie? Is that Shego?" came Anne's voice from upstairs.

"Yes, Dr. Possible," Shego called back. "It's me."

"Wait a minute," Ron said, striding into the family room with Yori at his side. "You just _let_ Shego into the house?"

"Yes, Ron, I did," Kim sighed. "Listen, I owe you an apology for not saying anything before now. I owe all of you an apology, especially Shego. You see, Shego is the person I'm going on the road trip with."

"Say what? Ow!" Ron asked, just before he was jabbed in the ribs by Yori's elbow.

Yori bowed before Shego. "It is an honor to finally meet you, Shego-san," the Japanese woman stated. "Ron-kun has spoken of you so much. The tales of your prowess in battle, equaled only by the likes of Kim-san, have reached even the most remote communities of Japan."

Shego bowed politely in return. "And you must be Yori. I have to say, you've got your hands full with the sidekick here. I have to give props to anyone who can keep _him_ in line."

"Heh," Ron laughed. "Like _anyone_ could keep _me_ in line."

Rufus cleared his throat on that one. Everyone in the room, including Ron, laughed.

Anne strode quickly into the room, carrying a hot cup of coffee in her hand. "Shego, if I remember correctly, you like your coffee straight black. Or was that a product of the attitudinator?"

"Thank you, Dr. Possible," Shego said, accepting the coffee from Kim's mother. "No, I like black coffee. That didn't change because of the attitudinator. I appreciate this."

"Do you mind telling us what's wrong?" Anne asked gently, concern in her voice.

"Eh?" Shego chirped quizzically, considering the elder redhead carefully before taking a sip of her coffee.

"I, uh, I might have told Mom we weren't supposed to meet until tomorrow," Kim admitted, fidgeting slightly. "And that I was worried that something happened for you to show up early like this."

"Oh," Shego sighed. "Well, if you don't know yet, then... Let me just say you'll probably be getting another phone call here in a little bit."

As if on cue, Kim's Kimmunicator beeped.

"Speak of the devil," Shego laughed, earning quizzical glares from everyone in the room, especially Ron.

Kim answered the call. "Hey, Wade, what's the sitch?"

"I've got a call from Dr. Director for you, Kim," Wade replied tentatively.

Kim glanced up at Shego, who simply shrugged uncommittedly at the redhead. Kim then turned back to Wade.

"Okay, patch her through," Kim said.

Wade's image in the Kimmunicator was replaced by that of a middle-aged woman with short brown hair and an eye patch. The woman looked at Kim with a neutral expression. "Hello, Miss Possible."

"Hello, Dr. Director," Kim replied. "How may I help you today?"

"Is Shego there with you?" Dr. Director asked bluntly.

Kim raised a brow at Shego, who only smirked knowingly at the redhead. Shego then stepped up next to Kim and leaned in to see the Kimmunicator screen. "I'm here, Cyclops. How's tricks?"

"Shego? Are you okay?" Dr. Director asked.

"Sure I'm okay," Shego laughed. "The sun is shining, the cool Autumn air is crisp and clean, and Halloween is tomorrow. That's my favorite holiday. Why wouldn't I be okay?"

"An 'anonymous' tip leads my best agent to Dr. Drakken's lair," Dr. Director explained, "We not only find enough evidence for conspiracy to commit terrorism to lock Drakken up for at least a dozen years—we also find Drakken himself welded inside of the Diablo-style mecha suit he obviously built for himself. You are not anywhere to be found. So please forgive me if I'm jumping to conclusions here."

Kim's eyes went wide as she considered Shego. The implications of what Director had just said...

"Drakken wanted to go back to trying to take over the world," Shego mused, shrugging. "I didn't like the idea. So I left. No big."

"Except that we found Drakken trapped inside of a weld-job that can only be done by your plasma flames," Director pointed out. "Now, as I see it, acting to prevent the committing of a crime isn't enough to justify trapping a man inside of what is essentially a coffin without food and water for an period of time that you cannot possibly predict. If I'm forced to charge you with assault and battery, Shego, it will nullify your pardon. Please, help me help you. Give me something."

Shego sighed resignedly.

"Do you need the rest of us to leave the room, Shego?" Anne asked softly. "Obviously, Kimmie has to stay, since her Kimmunicator is still on her wrist. But the rest of us..."

"...should stay," Shego replied softly. "I mean, if I'm going to do what I want to at this point, I need to foster trust with everyone in Kimmie's life. That includes you, buffoon. So you stay too. But don't you dare think any funny thoughts at what I'm about to do. Your lady is standing right there."

Ron shook his head in confusion. "What are you going to do that'll make me think funny...?"

Before Ron could finish his question, Shego pulled her sweater up and over her head. She breathed in sharply in pain as she did so.

Everyone in the room gasped at the sight. As Shego tossed her sweater aside, it was deathly obvious something was wrong. She was wearing a dark green, lacy bra, but it did little to hide the problem. A dark green bruise, almost purplish in color, started at the base of Shego's neck on the right side. It followed the contours of Shego's body down the right side of her torso, expanding out to cover Shego's shoulder, half of her upper arm, much of her right breast, and half of her abdominal muscles, before tapering to just below her waistline.

"Shego...?" Kim breathed, unable to form any further words. She was visibly shaken.

Ron's reaction was much different. His eyes lit up in a blue fury no one in the room had ever seen before. A blue energy began to trickle violently around Ron's body as his muscles tensed up visibly.

"Where... is... he...?" Ron growled angrily. His hollow, reverberating voice evoked a level of menace that unsettled even Shego.

"Um, Betty," Shego said quickly, glancing back to Kim and her Kimmunicator. "You see this bruising? You _might_ want to say something now. The sitch is about to go DEFCON 1 with the sidekick here."

"We have Drakken in our custody, Ronald," Director replied, loud enough to hopefully catch the young man's attention. "He is being appropriately dealt with, I assure you."

Ron began breathing deeply, rhythmically, as Yori stepped up to her lover and caressed his chest gently.

"Shego?" Director continued. "Please answer this one question for me. Was Drakken inside or outside of this mecha suit when you received your injuries?"

Shego took in a deep breath to calm herself, an act that caused obvious pain. "Inside."

"So, we can tag 'Aggravated Assault With A Deadly Weapon' and 'Attempted Murder' onto the list of charges we're filing against Drakken today," Director sighed. "And Shego can be considered to have acted in defense of her life."

Shego nodded solemnly as Anne approached her with her sweater.

"I understand if you tell me to go fly a kite, Shego," Director said. "But unless you are willing to testify against Drakken, we won't be able to make the Assault and Attempted Murder charges stick. Is there any way for me to maintain contact with you?"

"I'm going to be spending the next several months with Kimmie, Betty," Shego said, carefully slipping her sweater back over her head. "Kimmie's nerdlinger will be able to find me, if you need to talk to me."

"Thank you, Shego," Director replied, genuine gratitude in her voice. "I will leave you and the Possibles in peace for now, then. I have a lot of paperwork ahead of me. It don't like that Drakken blew his second chance like this. But I'm glad you didn't, Shego. And I'm glad you're alive."

"Thank you, Betty," Shego breathed.

"Take care all," Betty added, before severing the connection.

Kim lowered her arm and looked at Shego in both shock and sympathy. "Shego..."

"We got into an argument over the road trip, Kimmie," Shego admitted, sitting down on the nearby sofa. "Drakken accused me of betraying him in order to be with you. All I wanted was some time off to sort through my feelings... my feelings for him. But he got angry..."

"My God," Anne breathed. "From what James has told me, Drakken always had problems maintaining emotional stability, but..."

"Ever held an argument with a three-year-old driving a giant robot, Dr. Possible?" Shego growled. She then pointed at her now sweater-covered side.

Anne could only cover her mouth with her hands in response.

"After he attacked me with that robot suit of his, I snapped," Shego continued, keeping her head hung low. "I welded him into the cockpit of the thing, unlocked the security to all of Doctor D's computer files, and left a nice little note that Global Justice could easily find. Then I left and phoned in that 'anonymous' tip."

Kim sat down on the couch next to Shego and began to caress her back reassuringly, careful to not touch Shego on her right side.

"I loved him, Kimmie," Shego sighed, her voice cracking. "Just like you loved... probably still love your sidekick. It hurt so much to do all of that to him..."

"No woman should ever have to endure an abusive relationship for the sake of love," Anne suddenly said, firmly. "I'm a brain surgeon, for crying out loud. And _I _have seen more than one patient who has needed _my_ help because she was victim to an abusive boyfriend or husband. You did the right thing by standing up to Drakken, Shego. No matter how hard it hurt, you did the right thing."

"I know, Dr. Possible," Shego choked. Kim carefully put an arm around Shego, softly caressing the left side of Shego's back. " "And I'm trying my best to see it that way. But, God, it hurt so blasted much to do that to him! Part of me still wants to go break him out of prison. But I know I shouldn't."

"Where did you plan on being tonight, Shego?" Anne asked, gently yet firmly.

"That's the problem," Shego said, steadying herself. "I... I don't have anywhere to go. The lair _was_ my home. I don't have a home of my own. And I don't want to go to my brothers in Go City. Not in the state I'm in."

"You need friends, not people who will chastise you for having been evil," Kim said, understanding Shego's misgivings.

"Exactly," Shego breathed, evoking a bit more venom in her voice than she probably intended.

"And _that_ is why we have a guest bedroom," Anne said. "I'm going to prep that right now. You're staying here, young lady, for as long as you need to."

"Thank you, Dr. Possible," Shego said, still not looking up.

"You're very welcome, Shego," Anne said. "And it's Anne, by the way."

"Thank you, Anne," Shego corrected herself.

Anne turned to leave the family room, but paused to consider Ron. Yori had essentially snuggled up next to him as he stood there, performing breathing exercises and reciting mantras in his mind. Anne placed a gentle hand on Ron's shoulder.

"I'm fine, Mrs. Dr. P.," Ron said, taking another deep breath. "I'm fine."

With that, Anne squeezed Ron's shoulder reassuringly and stepped out of the room.

"Wow, sidekick," Shego said, almost laughing, as she glanced up in Ron's direction. "You're taking this almost as hard as I did. And we don't even like each other."

"That's because my dad raised me up right," Ron growled. "A _real_ man doesn't raise a hand to a lady like that. Not ever. No matter how angry he may get. It's been a pet peeve of mine... ever since I found out why Felix Renton was wheelchair-bound."

"What?" Kim breathed. It was obvious to Shego that this was the first time the redhead had heard that little factoid.

"Yeah," Ron continued grimly. "Let's just say that there's a reason we've never met Felix's father. I almost snapped when I saw what Drakken did to Shego just now. I _would_ have snapped _hardcore _if Shego'd been pregnant when Drakken did it. And there would have been _nothing_ any of you could have done to stop me."

Shego set down her coffee and stood up at that point. She strode across the room and did something no one present would have predicted. She threw her arms around Ron and pulled him into a hug. Yori politely stepped back to allow it to happen, even though her look was as curious as everyone else's.

"Um, okay?" Ron gasped, before carefully placing his arms around Shego.

"Ron," Shego said softly, "You're right. A _real _man would never do anything like that. I'm finding it so deliciously ironic that the only real man I've ever had in my life is my archenemy's pants-dropping goofball of a sidekick."

Ron blinked a couple of times before finally easing into the embrace. He patted Shego's back, careful to pat her on her left side. "I'm just channeling my natural Ron-ness, Shego. Ain't no big."

Shego pulled away and looked at Ron at arms length. "No, Ron, it _is_ big. Kimmie's lucky to have you in her life. She's always known that. Don't you two ever lose touch with each other. Ever."

"Not gonna happen," Ron smirked. "Bestest friends forever. Nothing's changing that."

"Good," Shego said, more firmly this time. "Cause I'd hate to have to hunt you down and use my evil fiery hands of death on you for hurting my Princess."

"Good thing you'll never have to," Ron laughed. "Wait, did you just say...?"

Before Ron could finish his question, the doorbell rang again.

Shego laughed at that. "Welcome to Grand Central Station."

Kim stood up and walked towards the door. "That'll be for me. I'll get it."

As Kim walked past Ron and Shego, she paused to lean up and kiss Shego on the cheek. Shego leaned down to accept the kiss. Kim turned and kissed Ron on the cheek as well. She then strode to the front door.

Ron stared wide-eyed at Shego. "Did KP just...?"

Shego merely smirked smugly at Ron.

"Girlfriend, you should see these outfits!" another girl's voice said from the front door. "The white one is _so_ you. But the black one would make you look _so_ wicked. I..."

Ron and Shego turned to see the girl who was speaking. Kim was walking back into the family room with a beautiful African-American woman in tow. The woman, holding two Club Banana bags in her hands, paused to consider the people in the room.

"Miss Go?" the woman breathed.

"Hi," Shego nodded. "Monique, right? The one who was into fashion design? Good to see you again."

"Um, likewise?" Monique replied. She then leaned in to stage whisper to Kim. "GF, is she on the UNU?"

Kim giggled. "Yes, Mo'. She's on the up and up. And, no, she's not under the influence of an attitudinator, before you ask. It's a long story. The quickest answer... she's my road trip buddy."

"Ohhhh!" Monique responded, nodding dumbly. "Um, sure. Okay. So..., oh, wait! I know. Hey, Miss Go...?"

"Shego," Shego corrected.

"Um, right," Monique mumbled. "Shego, would you like to come with us tonight? We're heading to the Godeaux Family Haunted Mansion for their tour and costume party." Monique then looked down at the bags in her hands and suddenly thrust one of them towards Shego. "We've even got you a costume!"

"That's a great idea!" Kim chirped, looking at Shego like an expectant child. "I was supposed to try on these costumes and chose one. But Mo's right. I'll take the white one and you can take the black one. It'll be perfect."

Shego rose a brow to that. "So, let me get this straight. You're inviting me to my cousins' haunted house party _and _just so happen to have a costume for me to wear?"

"Cousins?" Ron asked. He was obviously suffering from information overload. Both Yori and Rufus moved in to comfort their companion.

"I don't like to advertise it," Shego added quickly. "But, yeah, my real last name is Godeaux, although we usually just use Go for short. The cousins here in Middleton are distant cousins, but cousins nonetheless."

"Then maybe you can tell us the family history as we're taking the tour," Kim smiled.

Shego considered Kim for a moment. The redhead was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet, looking very much like a little girl in a toy shop. Shego couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.

"More like I'll be telling you what parts of the 'haunted mansion' story are real and fake," Shego laughed. "That way, we can laugh at how silly they're being."

Kim's face darkened into a mischievous grin. "Even better."

At that, Shego accepted the bag that Monique was offering her. "So, Kimmie, what are you going to be for Halloween," Shego asked, teasingly.

"Glinda, The Good Witch of the South," Kim smiled, holding the dress in the bag up to her.

"The Wizard of Oz, huh?" Shego smirked. "Can't say that I don't like the idea. Fits you nicely. So, Glinda and not Locasta?"

"Locasta wore a pink dress," Kim sighed. "Or, at least, the version of her they called Glinda in the MGM movie did."

"Right," Shego nodded. "Someone who knows the difference between Baum's books and Hollywood. I'm loving you already, Pumpkin."

Kim gushed slightly at that.

"So," Shego said, pulling the black dress out of the bag and holding it up to her frame. It was quite obvious that this dress, which was every bit as elaborate as the one that Kim was going to wear, threatened to expose much more skin. Shego hummed appreciatively at that. "Which witch am I going to be? Gingema or Bastinda?"

Kim raised a brow to that one. "Volkov's interpretation of Baum's works? I didn't put that much thought into that one. Honestly, I thought MGM's version of the Wicked Witch of the West was kinda ugly, so I'd rather you go with the East. At least we can _say _she was beautiful before she was killed."

Shego chuckled at that one. "Gingema it is, then."

"I'm going as Carmen Sandiego," Monique smiled. She then turned to Ron and Yori. "Have you two decided what you're going to be?"

"We thought about going as ninjas... Ow!" Ron started to joke, before being playfully jabbed in the ribs again by Yori's elbow.

"After much discourse," Yori smiled, "Ron-kun and I have chosen to go as Spike Spiegal and Faye Valentine, respectively."

"Huh?" Shego asked, looking at the two lovers curiously.

"From an anime show, I'm sure," Kim laughed.

"_Cowboy Bebop_," Ron smiled. "You should watch it. It's good."

Shego, ignorant of the actual nature of the show, pictured in her mind Ron dressed as a dancing ranch hand and chuckled inwardly.

"We'll have to give it a try sometime, then," Kim smiled supportively.

"Well, Princess, shall we go change?" Shego asked, turning to look at Kim.

"Yeah, let's go see how these costumes look," Kim said excitedly, taking Shego's hand and running for the stairs. Shego, laughing, allowed herself to be pulled up the stairs.

"And they're changing clothes together...?" Ron asked, his face somewhat slack.

Monique simply watched her best friend and her archnemesis run up the stairs while Yori and Rufus shook their heads in amused exasperation at Ron.

* * *

Kim and Shego, dressed like two different witches, stumbled out of the doorway and into the grand ball room, laughing hard and leaning into each other. Monique, in a red trench coat and wide-brim red fedora, strode through the doorway, shaking her head mirthfully. Ron, dressed in a blue retro suit, yellow dress shirt, and large black wig, and Yori, dressed in a yellow halter top, yellow booty shorts, and a red overshirt pushed off of her shoulders, stepped out of the doorway—Ron clinging desperately to Yori.

"Oh, my God!" Kim laughed. "I've never been so startled so much in all of my life! They outdid themselves this year!"

Shego smiled as she wrapped her arm around Kim's shoulder. "I bet they pulled in a professional consultant for once this year. I had a lot of fun watching you scream and jump."

Kim paused and smirked at Shego as she rested her head on Shego's shoulder. "You didn't jump once. Kinda made you look like a fuddy-duddy."

Shego chuckeled and shook her head. "Years as a violent criminal, Cupcake," she reminded the redhead. "You tend to sharpen your skills of perception under those circumstances. Not much difference between a loon pretending to be a flesh eating zombie and an assassin taking out a contract on your life when someone jumps out of the shadows at you. Besides, I got my fun watching you, Kimmie. Your expressions were an absolute riot at times."

"I bet they were," Kim giggled. She then sighed happily, walking along with Shego.

Shego considered the now-adult walking beside her. It had only been a month since the two of them had found themselves together at the cabin in the Rocky Mountain National Park, where the two of them waited out a vicious thunderstorm together. It had been a fun weekend and Shego had thoroughly enjoyed herself. It had been strangely liberating to have been able to just sit and spend time with Kimmie in pleasant conversation while _not_ under the influence of an attitudinator. Plus Kimmie played a mean game of Trivial Pursuit.

Now, here they were, all dressed up for Halloween, going through a haunted house attraction and about to attend a costume party. Spending time with each other without throwing punches or trying to stop each other from succeeding. Shego felt almost... relaxed. Relaxed was a feeling Shego hadn't enjoyed for a long time.

"You look deep in thought," Kim's voice suddenly said, piercing through Shego's thoughts.

"Just thinking about how two Wicked Witches of Oz can terrorize the south side of Middleton on the eve of Halloween," Shego replied, smirking darkly at her redhead companion.

"Well," Kim purred, running a finger along the lapel of Shego's blouse. "I know this one route that's well traveled on Halloween. We can set up an ambush and scare all of the little kids..."

"My goodness, Possible!" Shego gasped dramatically. "I never knew you had that much _naughty _in you!"

"I told you I had an edgier side," Kim laughed. "Didn't you say you wanted to explore it?"

"Oh, yes indeed, I did," Shego growled pleasantly, looking at Kim for an minute before the moment was suddenly shattered.

"Shelly?!"

"Uh-oh," Ron's voice filtered through the haze out of which Kim and Shego were trying to pull themselves. "Barkin Alert."

A large, broad-shouldered, jarhead-looking man strode up to Kim and Shego. He was dressed up as an army general—most likely Patton, based on the year of the uniform and the decorations on his chest.

"Steve," Shego replied pleasantly. "Long time no see."

Mr. Barkin, the man who seemed to fill in just about every post in Middleton High School, even though he was technically the principal, nodded briskly. "I didn't know you were back in town. How are you doing?"

"Fair to middlin'," Shego said, shrugging her shoulders and hiding the jolt of pain she felt on her right side fairly well. "Tried the whole having an affair with the boss thing and it didn't really pan out. How's things going at the school?"

"After Miss Possible and her classmates graduated," Barkin began, "half of the staff quit to move on to bigger and better things. Said the challenge just wasn't there anymore. We could use more teachers."

"Maybe next school year," Shego replied. "Right now, I'm about to head out on a road trip with Kimmie here and it could take a few months."

Barkin considered Kim a few moments. Kim simply smiled sweetly back at her former principal/teacher.

"Understandable," Barkin replied simply. "Listen, Shelly, about my behavior a couple of years ago..."

"It happened a couple of years ago," Shego said quickly. "Steve, had that been the real me, things would have been so beautiful. At least until you tried to sing."

Kim chuckled softly at that, earning her a vicious glare from Barkin.

"But that _wasn't_ the real me," Shego continued. "I was under the effects of a weird sort of mind control. And now... now I'm interested in someone else."

Kim certainly did not miss the way that Shego gently squeezed her hand upon saying that. It would have been practically imperceptible to anyone other than Kim, including Barkin. But to Kim... it felt like the world.

"Time has a funny way of changing things, to be certain," Barkin nodded. "Listen, I don't want there to be any bad blood between us. You're a good teacher. The kids loved you... at least, the ones who didn't know you were an international criminal. So don't let the fact that I'm head of the hiring committee hold you back. I'll push your resume through faster than anything."

"Thank you," Shego said. She wasn't sure what else to say.

An awkward moment passed between the three people for several moments before Barkin finally spoke again.

"Well, you enjoy the party, Shelly," Barkin muttered, turning away. "And Possible, you keep Miss Go out of trouble. Middleton High could use a teacher of her qualifications and experience."

"Yes, sir," Kim smirked, snapping a proper standing salute at the gruff man.

Barkin huffed visibly, then strode away.

"Well, that went better than I expected," Shego breathed. "Considering how I tasered him with one of Doc's mad science weapons after he stalked me back to the lair."

"And you've got a job waiting for you after we get back from our road trip," Kim smiled.

"Yeah, I do," Shego said sadly. "I've got so much going for me now. I just hope I didn't give up on..."

"Oh, no you don't," Kim admonished, turning to Shego with a much more serious look on her face. "Look at me, Shego. Don't make me pinch your right side and remind you why it was good that you did what you did."

"I know, Kimmie," Shego sighed, turning her face away from Kim's. "I'm just..."

"I get it, Shego," Kim said, using a finger to lift Shego's chin so that the two of them could meet eye to eye again. "Look, it took me a couple of months to get over Ron. And even then, your situation is far more intense than mine was. And I was lucky to have been able to keep Ron's friendship. So I can't even imagine what you're going through right now. Just understand that I've got your back now."

"We all do," Ron added, reminding Shego that she was not there alone with Kim.

Shego glanced around to see Ron, with Yori on his arm and Rufus on his shoulder, standing next to Monique.

"You're right," Shego nodded. "I do have you guys now. Kinda ironic how my only real friends turn out to be the kids I've been trying to bring the pain to for over four years."

"That's what makes us the good guys, Shego," Monique smiled, crossing her arms.

Shego nodded. "But that encounter with Steve reminded me of something. There are a lot of things in my past. And they're going to keep cropping up on me..."

"I've got an idea for that," Kim said, holding up a finger to the ex-villainess.

Shego rose a brow to Kim as the redhead brought up her wrist Kimmunicator and made a call.

"Hey, Wade," Kim said to the young boy whose image popped up on the wristband video phone. "I... wait, are you in costume in your own bedroom?"

Wade laughed. "You know I hand out candy every year. So, what's the sitch?"

"Got a favor to ask you, Wade," Kim said. "Can the nefarious Cyber-Master hire Shego on as his sidekick?"

Shego gave Kim the queerest of looks at that point.

"Good idea!" Wade smiled. "Does Shego know what you're doing?"

"Not yet," Kim admitted.

"Let me talk to her, then," Wade asked.

"You got it," Kim smiled. She took off her wrist Kimmunicator and handed it to Shego.

"Okay, I'm here, Nerdlinger," Shego said. "What's going on?"

"Well, I keep a front identity in the villain community called the Cyber-Master," Wade explained. "He's actually pulled off some rather nasty cyberhacking jobs, so he's built up quite the reputation."

"Yeah, Drakken's hired him a couple of times," Shego said, looking impressed. "That was _you?_"

"Yep, although I'm technically operating as an undercover consultant for Global Justice while doing Cyber-Master jobs," Wade continued. "So, yeah, a lot of villains want to stay on Cyber-Master's good side. If they find out that you're working for him..."

"Then I won't have every Tom, Dick, and Harry beating down my door trying to get me to work for them," Shego laughed. "Wow, you and Kimmie scare me sometimes."

"Then you probably don't want to know what I can do to Drakken's rap sheet if you gave me the word," Wade grinned.

Shego shook her head. "Let him dig his own grave. He does enough to screw up his life on his own."

"True enough," Wade smiled. "Okay, I'll get to work on spreading the word about Shego's new employer. Oops, I've got trick or treaters at the door. Catch ya later, Shego! Kim!"

"Thanks, Nerdlinger," Shego smiled as Wade's image faded from the screen. Shego then handed the wristband back to Kim.

"Little by little, inch by inch," Kim smiled, accepting the Kimmunicator back from Shego.

"Things get a little bit better," Shego grinned in return. "Thank you, Kimmie." She then turned to the others. "Thanks, guys."

"It is our honor to be of assistance, Shego-san," Yori replied.

"Yeah, it's no big," Ron agreed, waving his hand casually. "I mean, you never made _too much _fun of me when I lost my pants, so it's the least I could do."

"Uh-huh, yep!" Rufus agreed. "Help!"

"Girlfriend," Monique smirked. "Kim likes you a lot. I can see that now. That makes you one of my peeps, whether you like it or not. Anyone messing with you is gonna have to deal with me now."

"All the villains of the world beware," Shego laughed.

"Trust!" Monique agreed with an index finger for emphasis.

"Let's just hope the other shoe doesn't drop," Shego sighed.

"Won't happen if we're barefoot on a beach somewhere," Kim smirked.

Shego chuckled at that.

Suddenly, the music playing through the ball room changed. _Super Psycho Love_, by Simon Curtis, began to filter through the room.

"Come on, Shego," Kim said, pulling on the ex-villainess' hand. "Let's dance."

Shego shook her head in mirth and followed Kim onto the dance floor.

Kim began to move her body to the rhythm of the bass. Moving her arms to balance herself, she swayed her hips in tempo with the music. Her feet stepped to the song's cadence, coaxing the beautiful redhead to turn slowly as she danced. The whole combination had a subtle sensuality to it. Shego was sure that it was unintentional... that Kim was simply feeling the music and moving to it. But the sight of Kim's body moving so perfectly was... intoxicating.

Shego quickly got into the rhythm of Kim's motions, countering them as if by instinct. As Kim's hips moved one direction, Shego's hips moved the opposite direction. If Kim turned a particular direction, Shego turned to flow with that movement. If Kim's arms were downcast, Shego held hers over her head, accentuating her body and her costume. And the connection seemed to work both ways. If Shego wanted to turn a particular way, she simply stepped to begin the motion and Kim automatically compensated and flowed with the motion.

Despite the subject of the song—the man was singing about a lover who was stringing him along despite any real desire for a true relationship—or maybe because of it, the rhythm and bass of the song was perfect for dancing. Just hard enough to make dancing fun and energetic yet just slow enough to truly get an appreciation of the subtle nuances of one's dance partner. Both Kim and Shego felt an energy flow between the two of them that neither had really felt before.

_This feels so right,_ Kim found herself thinking to herself. _It feel so scary, but so right. I never thought I would feel this for any woman, let alone Shego. But this sense of... connection... I've been craving it. I've been needing it. Now I'm glad that Shego and I connected like we did a month ago._

_To hell with social conventions,_ Shego found herself thinking to herself. _I may prefer mindless pretty boys with loads of money, but maybe this will work out after all. I never thought in a million years that tiny little Possible who could do this to me. Chalk that up to me finally looking on the inside rather than the outside._

Ron, Rufus, Yori, and Monique watched from the wall, admiring how perfectly in sync Kim's and Shego's dance movements seemed to be with each other—how perfectly in sync Kim and Shego themselves seemed to be with each other.

"Wow," was all Monique could say.

"Uh-huh," Rufus agreed.

"Ron-kun," Yori breathed. "I want _that _to be us someday."

"It will be," Ron replied, just as breathlessly. "I promise you, Yori. Someday it will be."

* * *

"I can't believe that bruise healed up overnight," Kim exclaimed as as she loaded her suitcases into the trunk of Shego's black and green luxury convertible. They were just outside of the Possible residence, the morning after the costume party, getting ready to leave.

Kim knew her parents were just inside of the house, watching from the living room window. Kim and Shego had already said their goodbyes to Anne and James... but that didn't mean that Kim didn't want to run back into the house to just hug her parents for just a little while longer.

"I heal up faster than most people," Shego pointed out. "Part and parcel with my comet powers. The boys all heal up faster than normal, too. It's the reason they were able to survive me, what with their idiocy and all that."

"I _like_ the Weegs," Kim pouted as she shut the trunk carefully.

"The Weegs _are_ probably the only ones I _do_ like," Shego admitted. "But, back to _me_. Thanks to my faster healing, you don't need to worry about me being hurt for too long. Something I didn't tell your mom or the sidekick is that I showed up yesterday with three broken ribs."

"You did _what?_" Kim gasped, looking at Shego with wide eyes.

"I think it was three," Shego added casually. "Maybe it was four. But I think I only counted three."

"What the deuce, Shego?" Kim snapped. "You could have seriously _hurt_ yourself! Punctured a lung or something! Bled to death!"

"And," Shego pointed out, "_that_ is why I didn't say anything. Because you would have flipped out over it. All I needed was a good night's rest. The bones have all knitted up and the bruising is gone. I just needed to replenish the reserves afterward."

"Hence why you ate so much at breakfast this morning," Kim nodded, visibly calmer. "And here Mom thought you really liked her cooking."

"I _did_," Shego laughed. "But yeah, I ate so much because I was missing vital nutrients in my system and I needed to get them back. So, Pumpkin, you ready for this road trip?"

"Ready, willing, and able," Kim smirked, sliding into the passenger seat of the convertible.

"Then let's get this show on the road," Shego laughed, dropping into the driver's seat and shutting the door. "Any clue as to where you want to go first?"

"No, not really," Kim admitted, turning to admire her travel companion. "I've only got as far as 'Away From Here' in my head."

Shego smirked and nodded. "Well, then, we're heading south. I've got the perfect place for a first destination."

Kim smiled softly as Shego started the engine to her convertible. Shego was doing a better job of keeping her excitement subdued, but Kim could still see it.

Kim felt that she could see a lot of things in Shego that no one else could see. Things that made the woman special.

This was going to be a great road trip.

**[END DARK REVELATIONS]**

**Note: **Well, that's it. The road trip has now officially begun. That was the Halloween installment. The next one will be for Thanksgiving. If anyone has any good suggestions for a place that Kim and Shego could visit for Thanksgiving, please feel free to PM me. I hope you enjoy these stories.


End file.
